Inner cowl arrangement for gas turbine engine

Abstract

An inner cowl arrangement for a gas turbine engine includes a first hinge and a second hinge pivotally connecting a first cowl member and a second cowl member, respectively, to a mounting structure. The inner cowl arrangement further includes a latch detachably securing the first and second cowl members. At least one of the first hinge, the second hinge, and the latch includes a pressure relief component that deforms or breaks when an applied load on the pressure relief component due to a pressure within an engine core is greater a normal operating load, causing at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member to move relative to the engine core, and forming an opening.

I claim: 
     
       1. An inner cowl arrangement for a gas turbine engine having an engine core, the inner cowl arrangement surrounding the engine core and attached to a mounting structure, the inner cowl arrangement comprising:
 a first cowl member comprising a first upper edge and a first lower edge; 
 a first hinge pivotally connecting the first cowl member to the mounting structure proximal to the first upper edge; 
 a second cowl member opposing the first cowl member and comprising a second upper edge and a second lower edge; 
 a second hinge pivotally connecting the second cowl member to the mounting structure proximal to the second upper edge; and 
 a latch detachably securing the first lower edge of the first cowl member to the second lower edge of the second cowl member, the latch including at least one pressure relief component configured to receive an applied load due to a pressure within the engine core, the latch including two flanges, each flange located on an opposite side of the pressure relief component from the other flange; 
 wherein: 
 a displacement limiter surrounds the at least one pressure relief component, each of the two flanges being movable within the displacement limiter when the pressure relief component at least partially deforms or breaks; 
 in a normal mode, the applied load on the at least one pressure relief component is less than or equal to a normal operating load, and the first cowl member and the second cowl member together retain the pressure within the engine core; 
 in a failure mode, when the applied load on the at least one pressure relief component is greater the normal operating load:
 the at least one pressure relief component at least partially deforms or breaks to cause at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member to move relative to the engine core; 
 the displacement limiter is configured to engage the two flanges to prevent detachment of the latch from the one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member; and 
 
 a movement of the at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member relative to the engine core forms at least one opening to relieve at least a portion of the pressure from the engine core. 
 
     
     
       2. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises:
 a latch body fixedly connected to one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member; and 
 a latch keeper fixedly connected to the other of the first cowl member and the second cowl member, wherein the latch keeper removably engages with the latch body to detachably secure the first cowl member to the second cowl member; 
 wherein at least one of the latch body and the latch keeper comprises the at least one pressure relief component; and 
 wherein, in the failure mode, the at least one pressure relief component at least partially deforms or breaks to cause the first cowl member to detach from the second cowl member, thereby forming the at least one opening between the first cowl member and the second cowl member. 
 
     
     
       3. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the latch body comprises:
 a body section fixedly connected to the one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member; 
 a neck section extending from the body section toward the other of the first cowl member and the second cowl member along a longitudinal axis, the neck section comprising the at least one pressure relief component; and 
 a hook section extending from the neck section along the longitudinal axis, wherein the hook section removably engages with the latch keeper to detachably secure the first cowl member to the second cowl member; 
 wherein a maximum width of the neck section is less than a minimum width of each of the body section and the hook section, and wherein each of the maximum width and the minimum width is along a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       4. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one pressure relief component comprises a breakable portion defining a minimum width of the corresponding at least one of the neck section, at least one latch pin, an attachment section, a first body section, a second body section, the first hinge pin, and the second hinge pin, and wherein, in the failure mode, the breakable portion breaks to cause the at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member to move relative to the engine core. 
     
     
       5. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the latch body comprises:
 a body section comprising at least one latch pin fixedly connected to the one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member and extending along a transverse axis, the at least one latch pin comprising the at least one pressure relief component; 
 a neck section extending from the body section toward the other of the first cowl member and the second cowl member along a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the transverse axis; and 
 a hook section extending from the neck section along the longitudinal axis, wherein the hook section removably engages with the latch keeper to detachably secure the first cowl member to the second cowl member; 
 wherein a maximum width of the neck section is less than a minimum width of each of the body section and the hook section, and wherein each of the maximum width and the minimum width is along the transverse axis. 
 
     
     
       6. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the latch body comprises the at least one pressure relief component, the latch body further comprising:
 a body section comprising at least one latch pin fixedly extending along a transverse axis; 
 a mounting section spaced apart from the body section and fixedly connected to the one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member; 
 a neck section extending from the body section toward the other of the first cowl member and the second cowl member along a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the transverse axis; and 
 a hook section extending from the neck section along the longitudinal axis, wherein the hook section removably engages with the latch keeper to detachably secure the first cowl member to the second cowl member; 
 wherein a maximum width of the neck section is less than a minimum width of each of the body section and the hook section, wherein each of the maximum width and the minimum width is along the transverse axis, and wherein the at least one pressure relief component connects the at least one latch pin to the mounting section. 
 
     
     
       7. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the latch keeper comprises:
 an attachment section fixedly connected to the other of the first cowl member and the second cowl member, the attachment section comprising the at least one pressure relief component; and 
 a keeper section extending from the attachment section along a longitudinal axis, wherein the keeper section removably engages with the latch body to detachably secure the first cowl member to the second cowl member. 
 
     
     
       8. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one pressure relief component comprises a spring, and wherein, in the failure mode, the spring deforms to cause the at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member to move relative to the engine core. 
     
     
       9. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge comprises:
 a first hinge body fixedly connected to one of the first cowl member and the mounting structure; 
 a first hinge clevis fixedly connected to the other of the first cowl member and the mounting structure; and 
 a first hinge pin pivotally connecting the first hinge clevis to the first hinge body; and 
 wherein the second hinge comprises:
 a second hinge body fixedly connected to one of the second cowl member and the mounting structure; 
 a second hinge clevis fixedly connected to the other of the second cowl member and the mounting structure; and 
 a second hinge pin pivotally connecting the second hinge clevis to the second hinge body; 
 
 wherein at least one of the first hinge body, the second hinge body, the first hinge pin, and the second hinge pin comprises the at least one pressure relief component; and 
 wherein, in the failure mode, the at least one pressure relief component at least partially deforms or breaks to cause at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member to detach from the mounting structure, thereby forming the at least one opening between the mounting structure and the at least one of the first cowl member and the second cowl member. 
 
     
     
       10. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 9 , wherein the first hinge body comprises:
 a first body section fixedly attached to the one of the first cowl member and the mounting structure, the first body section comprising the at least one pressure relief component; and 
 a first loop section extending from the first body section along a longitudinal axis, the first loop section defining a first through-hole at least partially receiving the first hinge pin therethrough along a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis to pivotally connect the first hinge clevis to the first hinge body. 
 
     
     
       11. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 9 , wherein the second hinge body comprises:
 a second body section fixedly attached to the one of the second cowl member and the mounting structure, the second body section comprising the at least one pressure relief component; and 
 a second loop section extending from the second body section along a longitudinal axis, the second loop section defining a second through-hole at least partially receiving the second hinge pin therethrough along a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis to pivotally connect the second hinge clevis to the second hinge body. 
 
     
     
       12. The inner cowl arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein in the failure mode, the applied load on the at least one pressure relief component is greater the normal operating load by a factor of at least 1.5. 
     
     
       13. A gas turbine engine comprising: the engine core comprising a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and the inner cowl arrangement of  claim 1  surrounding the engine core. 
     
     
       14. An aircraft comprising a fuselage; a wing extending from the fuselage; the gas turbine engine of  claim 13 ; and the mounting structure for attaching the gas turbine engine to the wing, wherein the inner cowl arrangement is attached to the mounting structure.